utside rippled the green
channel, and beyond that the dark-blue sea. The sun shone hot. There was
scarcely any perceptible breeze. All this would have been enjoyable and
fruitful if there had not been a fish within a mile.

Almost directly I felt a very faint vibration of my line. I waited,
expectantly, thinking that I might be about to have a bite. But the line
slackened and nothing happened.

There were splashes all around us and waves and ripples here and there,
and occasionally a sounding thump. We grew more alert and interested.
Sam saw a bonefish right near the boat. He pointed, and the fish was
gone. After that we sat very still, I, of course, expecting a bite every
moment. Presently I saw a bonefish not six feet from the boat. Where he
came from was a mystery, but he appeared like magic, and suddenly, just
as magically, he vanished.

"Funny fish," observed Sam, thoughtfully. Something had begun to dawn
upon Sam, as it had upon me.

No very long time elapsed before we had seen a dozen bonefish, any one
of which I could have reached with my rod. But not a bite! I reeled in
to find my bait gone.

"That bait was eaten off by crabs," I said to Sam, as I put on another.

Right away after my cast I felt, rather than saw, that slight vibration
of my line. I waited as before, and just as before the line almost
imperceptibly slackened and nothing happened.

Presently I did see a blue crab deliberately cut my line. We had to move
the boat, pick up the lost piece of line, and knot it to the other. Then
I watched a blue crab tear off my bait. But I failed to feel or see that
faint vibration of my line. We moved the boat again, and again my line
was cut. These blue crabs were a nuisance. Sam moved the boat again. We
worked up the flat nearer where the little mangroves, scarce a foot
high, lifted a few leaves out of the water. Whenever I stood up I saw
bonefish, and everywhere we could hear them. Once more we composed
ourselves to watch and await developments.

[Illustration: SURGING IN A HALF-CIRCLE]

[Illustration: BROADBILL SWORDFISH ON THE SURFACE--THE MOST THRILLING
SIGHT TO A SEA ANGLER]

In the succeeding hour I had many of the peculiar vibrations of my line,
and, strange to see, every time I reeled in, part of my bait or all of
it was gone. Still I fished on patiently for a bonefish bite.

Meanwhile the sun lost its heat, slowly slanted to the horizon of
mangroves, and turned red. It was about the hour